Page 53 of Jax

“Is the deal still on?” I asked.

“Someone decided to fill you in, then?” Wolf snipped, raising a bushy eyebrow in my direction.

I’m not getting off this one easy.

I nodded.

“Yeah, the deal’s still on,” Wolf grunted, “so long as we get this pup back to his owner.”

“I ain’t no pup,” the young man snapped, but we ignored him.

“You want me?” I offered.

“Want you?” Wolf chuckled. “Fuck, no. Need you? That’s a different story. But not right now, Jax. You’re fuck all good to me now until you go get that thing seen to.” His big, sausage finger stabbed me in the shoulder, and what had been a light throb became a burning explosion across my upper chest and arm at his impact. I couldn’t help the hiss that bit through my teeth as I leapt away from his touch.

Turning to see the damage he’d done, I realized blood had been sinking through the cotton of my shirt and was staining the grey top a dark red. The stitches had come undone.

“Ah, fuck,” I grunted, probing the skin around it.

Yup, hurts like a bitch.

“We’ll be back in an hour or so. Polo and Jasper will swap with Ripper and Mint,” Wolf announced looking up to where Ripper and Mint straightened from their positions and without a word of argument moved toward the door of the cell and out into the hallway. “Hunter, you can escort him out.”

Wolf then moved out of the way as Hunter came alongside the man. He made no move to grab him, but Hunter was among the biggest fuckers in this place and his size was enough to make the younger man move.

“Jax.” Wolf caught my attention and I looked from Hunter’s disappearing figure. “We need to talk when I get back, got it?” His dark eyes, not flattered by the shitty lighting of the underground chamber’s single bulb hanging on a little chain, left no room for argument.

“I gotcha, Prez.” I nodded, allowing my president to turn with just me and Pretty watching him leave.

“I think you just got grounded.” Pretty chuckled, his hand hitting my shoulder.

“Ouch, you fucker,” I hissed, shoving his hand off.

“My bad,” Pretty snickered.

Bastard doesn’t sound all that sorry to me.

“Get back to your studies,nerd.I’m off to go see Kay,” I grunted, giving him the finger as I turned and left the younger club brother grumbling in the cell and headed up to find our resident nurse and substitute mother.

I needed to be at full strength if I had to add Wolf to my list of people to suck up to. Right there next to Ronnie’s name.

I am looking forward to the challenge.

Not.

* * *

Disgusting.

Gross. Tasteless. Bitter.

How Ronnie served this shit for just a few days here was beyond remarkable. This bar was a piece of crap, including all the people that visited it.

But as much as I hated to even sit in the chairs that have never been washed, I couldn’t leave my post. Not after all the shit I got into trouble for. Not that it would be reason enough for me to follow my president’s orders. Despite my whimsical nature, I was loyal to my club. Always would be.

“Loyalty is what protects the club because if the brothers have our backs, then we’ve got our brothers’ backs.”

I pressed my beer to my lips, the stale taste not so bad, as I thought about my president’s words.

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